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Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show. He's a poet. Rich Eisen. My God, he is so funny.
He is a brilliant, brilliant creator. But you know, he is also so serious. He's in charge of every detail. The Rich Eisen Show. Today's guests.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner. Dodgers catcher Will Smith. Host of Pro Football Talk, Mike Florio. And now, it's your rich eye scent. Hey, everybody.
What's happening? Welcome to the Rich Eisen Show. Yeah, and it's just me and TJ because Rich's mic is not working. It's a Wednesday. How are you guys doing today?
Chris Brockman, how you doing? Hey, everybody. Welcome to Sunday Show. There we go. Hello, everybody.
Hey, I'm working buttons here on the program. Good to see everybody here on Disney Plus, the ESPN app, and ESPN radio presented by Progressive Insurance. Good to chat with everybody here on the program. 844-204-Rich is the number to dial on this show. Good to see you over there, Chris Brockman.
Hey, Rich, what's up? You got work already? My baby to a heart attack. Good to see you, Michael. Get it running.
Jefferson candles lit over there. Good to see you. We stay ready, Rich, so we ain't got to get ready. I appreciate you saying all of that. Hey, there's lots to talk about on this program.
LeBron James tipped off season number 23 for him last night here in Los Angeles, California. He looked good. Lakers looked great. They're 11-4. We'll talk about that on this program.
Kurt Warner is going to be first up talking about everything that we saw in week number 11. We'll turn the page a little bit to week number 12. Speak, hey, Los Angeles fans, certainly listening out there on ESPN 710 here in Los Angeles. Will Smith, the Dodgers catcher, who hit the World Series, essentially winning home run. Um and also Gave everyone here in Los Angeles a heart attack by lifting his foot up off the plate for a split second as IKF was coming in with his.
Foot of his own in that legendary Game 7 moment. He's going to join us. And I have questions. I have questions for him. Could you imagine the entire World Series Was inside a replay machine for a split moment involving his foot, and he had to wonder.
I mean, I don't have to imagine what happened. No, I understand. It was happening. What I'm saying, he had to wonder: you know, did I get it back down in time? Right.
And for how long was that moment for him? Oof. For instance, and what did it look like from him to watch Andy Pahez run all over Kiki and bulldoze him to keep the game alive? Yeah, from that point of view. From all the way back there, what's it like to catch Shohei?
What's it like to catch Yamamoto? I mean, you know what I mean? Like. He caught every inning of that World Series. He did, and he was coming back from injury, too, late in the year.
I mean, does it involve a cold tub? Why did he slap Chris Rock?
Okay, wait a minute. I want to talk about independence. Being told different Will Smith. And how many times have you heard that joke? 844204-H number to dial.
Mike Florio as well on everything going on in the National Football League. And here's what's going on. When Michael Pennix Jr. got drafted by the Atlanta Falcons, everyone was sitting right there at that draft saying, what's up with that? Because Kirk Cousins just left Minnesota to be your starting quarterback and you just paid in gajillions of dollars and you went ahead and used a draft choice instead of to support this veteran quarterback in his final.
Dotage years in the National Football League to try and go all in on that basket in the same way the Jets were doing with Aaron Rodgers at the time, not knowing that the Steelers were going to do the same thing with Rodgers in a couple of years. But I get ahead of myself. We were all sitting there going, What are the Falcons thinking by taking a quarterback at all, let alone one who is arguably coming into this draft that has since. As we've seen, Put Drake May into the ether, and we see what he's doing now. Jaden Daniels was the unicorn last year, and we see what Bo Nix has become there.
And we're waiting for J.J. McCarthy to still show up regularly like he did in Michigan winning a national championship there. And Caleb Williams, my goodness gracious, now is a seven and three. NFC North leading into week 12 quarterback. Yeah, finally looks like the number one overall pick.
Um but Penix, out of all of them, was believed to be the most pro-ready because he's also, you know. Uh what a A Brandon Whedon, you know, age. A little older.
Okay. He's 24, and he also, boy, does he have that gorgeous spiral, like an NFL film spiral, no doubt, and a rocket arm, but also a surgically repaired knee multiple times over, having suffered not one, not two, not three, but four season-ending injuries in his college career where he was all over the map. But that's not his fault. It's part and parcel of the way things are going in college football now.
So you're drafting somebody that you, a lot of people thought they didn't need. And then They drafted somebody who's Availability wasn't always his best ability. And sure enough, they needed him last year because Kirk Cousins started falling apart at the seams. Coming off of an Achilles injury of his own, right? And um They turn to panics.
Save the season, kid. He couldn't. He tried. Then he gets the starting job this year, and everyone's wondering. Are you going to get rid of Kirk Cousins now?
And the answer was no.
Okay. Doesn't matter how expensive he is, we may need him. And we were all like wink, wink. Bye. That's just uh you.
trying to cover the fact and cover some tracks. of drafting panics. And having a bad siding, and you're definitely going to offload them at some point. Nobody knocked on the door to their liking with an offer. They held on to him.
Pennix missed one game with a bone bruise on the knee this year. Didn't look great for Cousins in that game. Tua and the Dolphins started. planting their feet. And pirouetting on their season.
We'll see how much. More winning they can do. But here we are now on this Week 12, Wednesday. With the Atlanta Falcons having lost in overtime at home. To the Carolina Panthers in a game where they not only lost Drake London with a knee injury, but lost Pennix with one, two.
And we find out today season-ending knee surgery for Michael Pennix Jr. And it's yet another ACL injury partially torn, thank goodness. But this was the concern about him, and it's not fair to bring up his injury history at this moment, except for the fact. That the Falcons Have a season on the line. And unbelievably, the person they're turning to to save it.
is the guy they turned away from last year and turned to Penix to save it. And Kirk Cousins, who's still there. And it's a much bigger hole. From which the Falcons are asking cousins to dig out of. rather than the one that Cousins handed to Penix last year.
Dire straits. For the Atlanta Falcons, who are now looking up in the standings at a Carolina Panthers team that has already swept them this year for the first time since 2013. Atlanta. Three and seven. They're not even in the sniffin' it category when we show you the NFC standings here.
And we're very lenient on the sniffin' it portion of we're generous. Yeah, we're generous when it comes to. We expand the circle to four, five, and one team. But after that, we've got to turn our back on you. They're not even in the mix right now.
And Atlanta's next game is at New Orleans before they visit the Jets, and then they're home for Seattle at Tampa on a Thursday night. Mid-December. And even more damning, they do not own their first round pick next year. That belongs to the Rams because they traded back into it for more defensive pass rush help, which has been an improvement this year. an improvement this year.
So um It looks like the Falcons are um In a position where they couldn't even have imagined they'd be in right now. Or certainly they hoped they wouldn't be in. with panics. Not there because he hurt a knee that a lot of Red flags were flying about. I mean, did we all have them in the playoffs this year?
Did you choose them to win the division? I think I might have. I don't think so. Offense is stacked and improved defense. It's all right there.
By the way, Drake London might not play this week either. It looks like he's not. Yep. Because of that aforementioned knee injury.
Meanwhile. In the Cleveland Ranch, Berea, Ohio. Kevin Stefansky, the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, said the words that we thought he would eventually say this year. It just wouldn't be because. They traded away both their veterans and the rookie.
Drafted in front of him can't go because he's got a concussion. Finally, the words have been said. Pit it. Shador is going to start at quarterback. Dylan is still in the concussion protocol.
He is improving. But obviously, we've got to put a plan together for all of our players, all of our offense, our defense, our special teams, a plan of attack and give our guys a chance to go execute and play fast. That's the goal.
Okay. So, um Just to interpret that for you. Play fast. Just to go ahead and play fast. And offense, defense, special teams.
It's not just about one guy, but. Nice try. To play fast, meaning we're not going to have somebody back there thinking. We're not going to have somebody back there unfamiliar with X, Y, and Z maybe simplify the playbook. Play fast, not think.
Instincts. Kid has instincts, that's for darn sure. And um We will see what it looks like. That interpretation is like: simplify the playbook, and we're going to put stuff in specifically for him so he can play fast. We can all play fast.
Obviously, the most successful thing would be for him to turn to Quinchon Judkins and say, go run and run away from 99 because they're playing Max Crosby. That's number one. You want to play fast, run away from him.
Sort of full-on. Monty Python run away. And that means They're going to Surround him. With support. Yes.
Take a listen to how Kevin Stefansky answered the question about the reps. They're going to give any. Is it Bailey Zappi who's next? Is he next? I think he is next in line.
Maybe just get him ready in case. What's going to happen here? Pretty much like you know the vast majority of those of New York City finds family. No, he'll get every rep. He'll get every rep.
So, I guess for those out there who thought they were. Sabotaging him.
Okay. Or I guess what? Sabotaging the system? I don't say sabotage. You say sabotage.
I say sabotage.
Okay, that's right.
Sorry. Who is that? That's William Shatten. That's like a 60-year-old clerk. I love the system.
Say sabotage. No, I don't say sabotage. You say sabotage. I say sabotage.
I mean, he's the starting quarterback. He better be getting every rep. That's the whole point, though. If they weren't sabotaging him by not giving him every rep. Yeah.
Okay. All right. And perfect example. And again, Shadur is not the first. Backup quarterback to get in there without a single rep with the ones all season long, right?
Most backup quarterbacks. Not most. All of them don't get them. They don't get anything.
So here's a story. I was going to tell it yesterday. I'll tell it now. As the story goes, Tom Moore. The great Tom Moore.
Old man football, right? Old man, he was on it, you know, honestly, he makes Wolfer Brimley look like Benjamin Button, right? And so. Good old Tom Moore, when he was with the Peyton Manning cult. He's 87 right now.
God bless him. If you ever have the chance to talk football with him, you got to do it. Because at some point, I mean, you know that Lou Duva commercial I used to be in on Sports Center, you know, where he's bleeped out in the commercial. Because they couldn't put five continuous words that were safe for work together in the edit bay.
So, screw it, we'll just bleep them out in a commercial where we could edit things out. Tom Moore would be just like that. He's still coaching, he's a senior offensive system with the Bucs. Yeah.
Oh yeah. Wow.
So um As the story goes, somebody asked him. If The Colts give Peyton Manning's backup any reps. in practice with the ones. And his answer was no. Why not?
Well Because if Peyton's not playing, we're effed. And we don't practice effed. That was his answer. Wow.
Great answer. Right? It kind of just. If he doesn't play, we're effed. And that's not in the playbook.
F'd is not in the playbook. You know so I get it. But the question is: it took so damn long to get to this point. What does that mean? For their thoughts about Shador.
And guess what? That is now all out the window. Cause they are all in the same boat. It could be the USSF. Could be.
You know what I mean? Yeah, it could. But. Shador is going to have an NFL start. On Sunday in Las Vegas against a wins challenge Raiders team.
He is going to have a full week Of you're the starter preparation. He can walk around the building. In the manner in which he's probably been dreaming of walking around an NFL building, I am the starting quarterback of fill-in-the-blank. I am the guy who is going to be leading the huddle. I am leading the team this week.
I am the team leader. I am the guy who's in the playbook. I am the guy talking to the OC and the HC about what I'm comfortable with. And they are setting me up to succeed. And no matter what happened on draft weekend, and no matter the way you read the way he's handling his business.
Or the way the Browns were handling their business at the position, they are all in the same boat. And it's either Shador Sanders Captain of the USS Browns Or it They are on the USSF. And the Raiders are going to have a lot to do with it. But I can't wait to see it. Browns at Raiders, where, by the way, You know, you know, one-on-one may be aft the most.
Don't worry, Disney Plus, I'll stop using that word. Where are you SPN radio? Presented by Progressive Insurance. It could be Geno Smith. Because Miles Garrett is bringing his tombstones to Vegas.
And they can't protect Gino. Browns can win this game. I can't wait to see it. That was high register. Nope.
That's tomorrow's show. Do you think anyone will score a touchdown in this game? Yes, of course, absolutely. Of course? Yes.
Yeah, absolutely. You've watched them both play football before, right? I have a few times. Yeah.
Have we watched Shador play football in a week in which I've talked about the preparation? Have we seen that yet? It may not matter.
Okay. Have we seen Chip Kelly maybe coordinate this thing in a way that's going to dial it up? You saw it a couple times. You've seen it a couple times. You're just saying?
I don't know. Never seen ever. I think The Under is a great play this week. That's all I'm saying. What is it?
What's that number? 36, which seems kind of high. Mm.
Okay. But do you know what I'm do you pick up what I'm putting down? All that business of like, why didn't they draft him? Why wasn't he drafted? Why did he have to jump in the pool after the fifth round finally?
Do they want him? Why are they not playing him? You know, in preseason more, even though he got hurt for the for after the performance that he had against. By the way, Carolina Panthers team that turned out to be better than expected. Although that was back in August against twos and threes and guys who aren't in the league anymore.
And why wasn't he this? Why weren't they giving him that? Why were they going to Dylan Gabriel? Why weren't they giving him any this or that? Was he sabot w was he being sabotaged?
Is that the proper way to say it, Mike? I don't know. I don't say Sabotage. Oh. You say Sabotage.
I say Sabotage.
Okay, exactly. I mean, listen to William James T. Kirk. William Shiner. I think funny enough too, him getting the start against the team most people thought.
He thought he was going to be drafted by it next year. Listen, I can't wait. We can only hope. That's all out the window. They're now on the USS fill-in-the-blank.
We'll find out. I can't wait. Fun week 12 stuff. One thing you said, Rich, real quick about him going in there and walking around like he's the captain of the ship. I think he should just do what he's been.
Stay humble, learn, know that the defense has got to carry you. Oh, I'm not saying he's going to do that chest out. There are ways to do that. uh you know, in in in the manner in which you're describing. And I'm sure he's been dreaming of that.
Now he can. He truly can do this in Berea, Ohio for the next few days. What's he going to do on Sunday? Will he force the hand of Stefansky, saying, All right, I saw that, you saw that. You saw that in Las Vegas.
Next up. We'll see you at home again, San Francisco. Ha ha ha ha. And then against Cam Ward, a guy who was drafted a gajillion miles in front of him. Men against Caleb.
Thing is Josh Allen Then against Aaron Rodgers. Dylan Gabriel. Then against Joe Flacco. Isn't Dylan Gabriel the starter when he's healthy? I don't know.
I'm just saying, you can play the hot hand. Let's go. We'll know by Monday. What happens in Vegas? You play hot hands, correct, Christopher?
All right. That's true. I'm I think I've hit the point. Speaking of that, let's take a break. Kurt Warner's going to join us next.
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Back on ESPN Radio, presented by Progressive Insurance. My Hall of Fame friend Kurt Warner is here. All right, you don't have the X-ray in front of you. You're not. Right there to talk to Aaron Rodgers.
But I'm just wondering if he does have that fracture in his wrist and his non-throwing. Hand off hand, I guess. What are the challenges do you think that present his ability to play in a game that you know he wants to play in Soldier Field? You know he wants to do that. And he's already voiced that to Tomlin.
What are your thoughts on the challenges that face him to get out there? Yeah, I mean, I think the biggest challenge, just from a playing standpoint, Uh would be of course handoffs. You know, what are they going to do to that wrist? Do they have to cast it up, which would probably go into part of the hand? And so, you know, would he be able to grip the ball?
You know, we've talked about it. You know, when I dislocated my left elbow, Um you know back in in 07. You know, I handed off with my right hand in both directions. And so, I mean, without a doubt, that's something Aaron Rodgers could do and I think get comfortable with. It didn't take long to figure that out.
You know, so that's that's a possibility. You know, and then just security of the football with both hands. Obviously, you know, what does that mean for that? But again, when it's your offhand, You know, and I would assume they, you know, they do something to help with the pain part of it. You know, there's not a whole lot that that's going to throw you off with outside of those little things that I'm talking about.
Okay. And then obviously, Caleb Williams, where do you stand on his development now? 11 weeks into the season, Kurt. A, he's developing, which is to me the exciting part, is that you just want to see growth. And I've seen growth.
In a lot of different areas with Caleb in this offense is growth in him fighting to stay in the pocket and go through his progressions. Growth in what I loved this past week is that the stats weren't necessarily great. It wasn't a great offensive performance, but. I thought he made a bunch of positive plays when there wasn't a whole lot. There to be had.
And that positive play might just be throwing the ball away instead of running around and taking a big sack or trying to wing some 40-yard throw down the field. Or maybe that just getting to a check down because it's not clear to him. And so I thought he made a lot of positive plays in this game. And that to me is a sign of maturity: it's not, man, every play has to be a home run. Every play, I have to, you know, whirl around and run around and try to make a big throw.
I think he's growing in all of those areas. There's still room to grow, being more comfortable with the progression part of it and being more fluid with that. To me, learning how to take something off the football.
So many of his balls are fastballs. And they're hard to catch. And if they're off just a little bit, it's really tough on his receiver.
So there's some growth I want to see in some of those other areas, but just. You know, from where he was last year and how he would get stuck on his reads and get stuck in the pocket and take sacks and not able to work through things. Man, I think he's made a whole bunch of progress. And the beautiful thing is that they're winning. while he's making progress, that he's not a finished product yet, and neither is his team.
But they're still winning. They're finding ways to win and he's competing his butt off and he's making plays when they need him to make plays. And that's half the battle as you're going through this process of learning how to win and building the Ben Johnson culture. Kurt Warner here on The Rich Eisen Show. As you know, in our years on NFL Game Day Morning, we have a lot of fun with you asking if this is the most complete.
Chiefs team of the Mahomes era over and over and over and over again. I don't think they'll be asking that of you. this coming week, now the Chiefs are in that other barrel. that we've been asking over the last couple of years is What's wrong with the Chiefs? What's up with the Chiefs?
Is there anything wrong with the Chiefs? I know I just asked you three different questions, but it's all part and parcel of the same, you know, I guess, pew, right?
So wha what is wrong with the Chiefs? Rit Larson.
Well, I mean, what's wrong, first of all, is that they're not dominant in any area. And, you know, for a while there, they were dominant on offense, and their defense was middle of the pack, and they had to bring their defense along. And then for a while, it was the defense is really good, and the offense is kind of just picks its moments, and it's got 15, and they find a way on offense, but they were dominant on defense.
Now, when you watch them, they're not dominant in any area. You know, there is nothing to me that they do really, really well. And so they've got nothing to hang their hat on on either side of the ball. And so when your offense is struggling, you can't count on your defense to just shut people down. And when your defense is struggling a little bit, you can't count on your offense to put up 30 points because they're not executing at that level.
And I would start up front, really on both sides. They're not dominant. They're not able to run the football. They're not dominating in pass protection on the offensive side. Chris Jones doesn't seem to be Chris Jones.
He's not dominating and taking over football games where he was that cog. In the middle, that really made things go defensively.
So they're not winning in the trenches, which just, you know. Shows everything else, all their other flaws seem to come out when that's the case. And as excited as they were when we were back in Brazil talking about this wide receiver group that they had and how they felt it could be their best group. that they've had in a long time and all of that stuff. Um I just I I don't see guys on the outside.
That I trust to win with route running, that I can build a good, solid, you know, pass game and I expect them to win the routes. These to me seem to be more speed guys, you know, long speed guys that have to get down the field, and that's how they're going to win, more than winning with the route running piece of it. And I think that's really hurting. This offense is they're not getting easy opportunities. They're not getting easy wins for Patrick Bahomes in the past game.
And when you can't run the football consistently, it just leads to all kinds of messes. And yeah, every once in a while they can come together and they can run these RPOs and they can get it to their playmakers and they can run after catch and it can look really good. But When a team takes that stuff away, and that's kind of what I've seen a little bit with the Bills and now with Denver, is that teams are challenging their receivers and getting up and not giving them space where they can catch it and run. They're going to challenge them and say, Beat me. Show me you can beat me with route running and you can create separation and enough for Patrick to hit you continually and for you to hurt us.
And they haven't been able to do that. And so that's something I'm looking forward to down the stretch because obviously they've got their work cut out for them. Is how do they get better and how do they create some of those opportunities for those receivers and for Patrick when it comes to the passing game? Because those guys, to me, just aren't winning in those one-on-one situations. Sports Talk Radio Question Time, Kurt Warner.
Ravens have won four in a row and they've got some winnable games in front of them. The Bills just got six touchdowns from Josh Allen in beating the Bucs two weeks after they beat the Chiefs, all wrapped around one big fat clunker in South Florida.
So, which team lasts longer? in the 2025 season, all the way through to the end. The Ravens or the Bills? You call that shot right now. Your answer would be what?
I am going to call the Bills right now. And I think both teams have.
Some issues. Both teams aren't hitting on all cylinders yet, and there's still a ways to go because obviously we've seen where the Ravens have gone from where they started to where they are now and playing a lot better football, and you mentioned it. The bills may be a little bit the opposite, where they started pretty strong, and now we're kind of wondering. I don't know. I just trust them more right now because I've seen more of that.
You know, that good play by them throughout the year. And so that really to me is what it comes down to. Not that. The Ravens can't be that team. I mean, they've got all the same pieces that have You know, been one of the best regular season teams and did some things in the playoffs last year.
So I know that's in there. I just haven't seen it come together enough with both sides that I'm fully confident in them moving forward.
So I would lean more towards the Bills, even though I see some chinks in their armor as well. I don't Usually say this wrong answer, Kurt. Wrong. Oh, yeah?
Okay. All right. No, I mean, listen, do you not think the Ravens' defense is better than the Bills, the way that they've been playing? I understand their first five games were a hot mess. Their last five games have not been.
Lamar is getting healthier, and the playmakers that they have certainly are. And I know this is not a metric, are certainly on more fantasy teams than the Bills. And that's just a way to talk about, I guess, talent level, another way to describe that. I would agree with that. Like, I mean, I would agree with that.
When you go top to bottom from a skill set or talent level, you know, on paper, as we always say, yeah, you know, I mean, that's why we said on paper that, you know, the Ravens, you know, came into the season as one of the favorites to go to the Super Bowl. But Just because it's on paper, we always say that, right? Paper champions, like looks really good on paper, but you got to translate it to the field. And even though they're winning now, it's not translating. It's not really pretty.
Like, it doesn't look like a dominating football team. And so that's the only thing. I've seen the Bills when they turn it on. They have played at an extremely high level a number of times this year. And that's why I lean in that direction, even though I fully hear what you're saying and would not be surprised.
Seven weeks from now, or six weeks from now, whatever, however many we got left, that we say, oh, gosh, the Ravens are the team to beat in the AFC. It's just, to me, I'm. I'm too leery of, you know, I've done it in the past where it's like, oh, this team should be. This team should be, but they never show you, but you keep thinking they're going to turn the corner because they should be really good. And I've too many times I've gone down that path and then I have to always step back and go, but they didn't show me that.
Like they never showed me they were that team. Why did I believe they were that team? And so right now they haven't shown me yet. And so I'm just not a full believer that they can put it all together and they will put it all together by the end of the year. As much as, as I said, they've got all the pieces.
These guys, most of these guys have been there before, so it wouldn't surprise me, but they just haven't shown me yet.
So I'm going to go with the team that's shown me a little bit more. Quick header time, Kurt Warner. All right. There's a bunch of quarterbacks who aren't starting this week. And I'm wondering if you you think they should return.
this year.
Okay. Jackson Dart, should he return? Yeah.
I mean, if he's healthy, yeah, he should return. Just don't run as much. Like, Yeah, tell them we're we're going to take those quarterback run plays out of the playbook and just play quarterback. Joe Burrow. Uh no.
Melium. Yeah, I mean uh This is one of those that I'm just looking, not as a competitor. As a competitor, if you're healthy, you get back out there and you play whether there's something to play for or not. I just look at it, I think, you know, as a fan. And if I was in the organization, it's just like, we're not even going to take that chance.
We're not in this mix, really. We're just going to let Joe get healthy through the offseason and come back next year and hope that we can put this thing together.
So that's why I say no. Put you in his shoes, though. Oh, I play.
Okay. Yeah, I mean, I mean, yeah. I mean, if it's up to Joe, I mean, if it's up to Joe, if it's up to any of us competitors and we get a chance to be out there and we're healthy and we're not going to, you know, hurt ourselves or injure ourselves more because of it, yeah, we're going out there. Like, we're playing. I'm just being the cautious guy that isn't the guy that has to go out there and play.
So I'm telling you that I would. I would bubble wrap him for the rest of the year and get him 100% healthy and believe that next year is our year. I understand that he that this is an obvious follow-up. And I know I kind of know what the answer is, but Obviously, Burrow, you know who he is. Don't need to see him.
Dart, I think you know what he is too. And why would you want to put him out there at the risk of another concussion? Or now he's rehabbing something in January, February, March. As opposed to just go there with Jameis, you've already seen from Dart, he's got it. You know, I know you need to get reps.
But at the expense of what potentially for an interim HC? I think that's, you know, that's the question, you know, for sure. Nobody wants him to suffer another concussion this year or anytime. I just think again, because you're a young football team and it's a young quarterback, and you're trying to build something there as a team. Um I just that's why I feel like and again, I mean If we feel like there's anything that could carry over from where he's been this year with the concussions, then obviously not.
I mean, no reason to because you're not playing for anything. But I just believe as a young team and a young player, You want to get these reps and you want to grow so you're in a better position when you guys step on the field next year. And so that's why, to me, you know, again, if he's healthy and you're not worried about any kind of setbacks there, you go play. And that's kind of how, I mean, I think all of us were when it came to concussions: is that. we felt when we were fully healthy that it wasn't subjecting us to another one.
Like I mean, obviously, you could take another hit, but it you know, it wasn't more likely necessarily that you suffered another one. And so when that time came, He got back on the field. And then, you know, he's not playing this week, not due to injury. Coach's decision: Justin Fields. What do you think?
Is that the end? Is this it? The Jets have made their decision and I mean, for them to be in this position season's over. They trade away their two best defensive players. They benched Justin Fields.
I mean. I mean, is this it for his time in the Jazz?
Well, I guess should we see him again? Once he's out, I mean, doesn't that make the decision? Pretty much. I mean, yeah, I mean, I think it would be, you know, you'd be hard-pressed to think that he's going to go back in and start again this year. I mean, he's got a body of work.
In this offense, you know, and again, barring. You know, whatever. I'm just saying, just to insert him back in there. Yeah, I think it is a tough sell right now. It doesn't mean he can't be the guy.
A year from now. But yeah, to me, it's a tough sell right now if you've Pulled him because he hasn't played very well. this year To place him back in there instead of giving some other guys a chance, whether it's Tyrod or Brady, a chance to see what they are. Yeah, I would be surprised if that were the case. And then I think your bigger picture question is: is this it?
I will be very fascinated to see what happens with Justin Fields now. Will he get another opportunity to be the full-time starter? For a team. I'm not sure he will. I think it will probably come, and you're gonna have to earn.
This spot.
So, maybe somewhere where they don't have a solidified quarterback, and he comes in and he competes, and maybe he has a chance to earn it. But he's had a number of opportunities. I don't know if he's quite there yet as a starter-type material in the NFL. And I think he needs to grow and get better. And so it will be interesting to see what happens with him moving forward if that's with the Jets.
Keeping him in that kind of a role, or whether that's somebody else taking a chance and bringing him in to compete. In the 90 seconds I have left, the all-22 all-star of the week was who? Who was it? It was Bryce Young. About it.
Bryce Young. And I love it. You know, it's just kind of gradually just getting better and better and making more plays and making more plays. And, you know, what a game. Over 450 yards, three touchdowns, you know, made a whole bunch of plays for this team.
And so, I mean, it's exciting. I mean, you know, I love to see that picture right there because we all know where we were a couple years ago and what everybody was saying about him. Last year. Yeah.
Was it just last year? Kurt, we were there. We were there in Munich watching him maybe just begin to get his job back. And, you know, and I think about Justin Fields, who we just talked about. And, you know, how a lot of these guys come into the league and they're not ready.
You know, they're just not ready to take on that position and carry a team and hold it down for a team. And gosh, we want to think, and we. Tell them that they have to be ready, but they're not ready, and it takes some time. And so it's been fun to watch the ascension of Bryce Young. And I don't think he's there yet, but.
Again, we're looking at growth, growth with Caleb Williams, growth with Bryce Young, and how he's playing every single week. And it's just, you know, every week you watch and you're like, oh, there's some more of what I want to see, and there's some more of what I want to see. And so it has been fun to watch him grow and get more confident and make more plays. And I'm really excited to see what his future looks like. Everybody, check out analysis like that at QB Confidential Kurt Warner's YouTube channel.
That is must subscribe. Good to see you, Kurt. Good to see you about YouTube, buddy. You bet. This weekend.
That's it. That's Kurt Warner on NFL Game Day Morning. That's what he means this weekend. 9 a.m. Eastern Time, tip time.
Let's take a break. 844-204-Rich. Number to Dow. LeBron's back, everybody. He's back.
Mm.
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Listen, listen, listen. I understand when LeBron James is discussing shows like This one.
Well, I mean Shows similar. To this one, where takes are welcome and handed out. And I understand shows like this one. Whereas a simulcast, there's multiple audiences. Call in, let's talk about it, let's light up a phone line.
That it's much more clickable. When the video about LeBron is more um Shall we say critical? than appreciative. Mm-hmm. Guess what?
This is a LeBron appreciation segment. All right, I'm going to sit this one out. That's okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Come on, though, Chris.
Last night, we saw somebody telling you that he was uninterested in anything LeBron James. He told me to court. became the first individual. In the history of the NBA to stroll in the court and saying, I am tipping off my 23rd season. It's impressive.
He's now past Vince, who had 22 seasons. Vince never tipped off a 23rd.
Okay, we all know all the records that he has. There was a stat on the local. Television broadcast for the Lakers last night. There are 80 Two, I believe. Individuals.
On NBA rosters Who started Living After LeBron started playing in the NBA. Dude. And I understand, you know. He's of an advanced age, and we're all expecting something to fall off, but. And the first 14 games of the schedule fell off.
Because he had Do you see what they're calling it sciatica now?
Well, he started playing golf and he got a bad back. Interesting. He's an old man. Welcome to your 40s. But I'm just pointing out.
It's sciatica. It was a nerve irritation in the glute. Which we thought. Are the Lakers calling LeBron a pain in the ass? But we all know back pain can refer.
And LeBron One out. and double doubled. And Luca. Double-doubled with 37 points. And.
Austin Reeves got 26. And the Lakers scored 140. and beat the jazz by fourteen. And that's something that the Lakers are going to have to at 11-4 prove is repeatable. For them to, in this deep end of the Western Conference pool, have a shot to come out of the Western Conference.
in a diva in a conference that the Oklahoma City Thunder are not losing in. More often than not. They're fourteen and one. I'm aware of that.
So Pretty cool, man. We're never going to see this again. And you, sir. You're gonna miss him when he's gone. I haven't missed him the first three weeks of the NBA season.
I got it. You know, I didn't miss the playoffs last year. I'm totally fine. My life is great. I don't know if you can say you're never going to see this again.
You're never going to see it again. I don't know. You will never see it. Think about this, man. Think about this.
There was a point where you never thought you'd see a guy play. 12, 15 years, like every generation. Things just change. You are never going to see somebody play this way again. At this age, how does that sound?
At this long, we're just never going to see it. There's going to be too many load-managed people. They're never going to have these numbers. They're never going to want to keep playing at this age. And you want to lose money to Jackson Dart.
I sure as hell do. I mean, yeah. But you keep them safe. Yeah, I do. It's a different sport.
Totally different, totally different contact sport. Totally different. With all due respect to Austin Rivers. LeBron had this to say afterwards. Yeah.
No, not really. Um I haven't been able to do that throughout my whole career.
Okay. I think it's something I will really enjoy once I'm done to be able to look back and see certain things that I've popped and group. Regular guys always around, of course, says I was around when I was playing games, so Um I can sit back and think about what you just said as far as seven guys not being the one started journey. And yeah, that just made my back hurt.
So I do got a girl. I got a few days before we play again, so I'll be okay. I guess it the Seven of those eighty plus um Players that is twice. We're born after he started playing in the NBA or on his own team. Crazy.
So, yeah, I we we won't ever see it again.
So I This is a LeBron appreciation video. You may not click on it, but I don't care. I'm going to give the props. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. Mm-hmm.
